Matrix Element S - finally a dedicated streamer from Matrix!

[FiGuY1017]

Sadly, but as a necessity I had to sell my Auralic Aries G2 .1 and have been without a streamer ever since.
I tried streaming from an old iMac and another laptop but that was not great.

Then i found that streaming from an iPad Pro sounded rather clean and significantly improved on imac and laptop. Using roon and direct from qobuz app

Curious if anybody here has compared the matrix element S to something like an iPad Pro and if it is a distinctive improvement

Thanks

Before I bought my ElementS I was using a iPad 2021 via cck it is imo better than or equal to the Wiim Ultra I had so it's definitely no slouch, but it has nothing on the Element S, especially through 1²s. It is one of the best purchases I've made, although it was buggy when I got it, it has since become a joy to use. Getting a PS Audio AirLens incoming so I'll compare it to the S, I'll be shocked if it can match it honestly

 

[project86]

I've also been surprised at how good an iPad can sound when streaming directly to a DAC. Some DACs don't seem to like that as a source, but others are fine with it and it really does sound better than most laptop/desktop PC solutions out there.

That said I agree the Element S is on another level. Obviously depends on your system though, and there may be other areas where the money would be better spent. If you've got most of that taken care of though, then the Element S should be a nice upgrade over an iPad.

@FiGuY1017 I look forward to hearing your thoughts about the Air Lens. Interesting piece of hardware. I've had mixed experiences with PS Audio ranging from disappointing to amazing so I never know what to expect with each new thing they release.

 

[FiGuY1017]

I've also been surprised at how good an iPad can sound when streaming directly to a DAC. Some DACs don't seem to like that as a source, but others are fine with it and it really does sound better than most laptop/desktop PC solutions out there.

That said I agree the Element S is on another level. Obviously depends on your system though, and there may be other areas where the money would be better spent. If you've got most of that taken care of though, then the Element S should be a nice upgrade over an iPad.

@FiGuY1017 I look forward to hearing your thoughts about the Air Lens. Interesting piece of hardware. I've had mixed experiences with PS Audio ranging from disappointing to amazing so I never know what to expect with each new thing they release.

This Stellar Gold was my first product from them and have to say, it's amazing imo

I have heard mixed opinions on the Airlens but got a almost brand new unit for 600.00 so with that offer, I had to take a chance on it

 

[project86]

$600 seems like a no brainer purchase, can't really go wrong for that price.

 

[JMR77]

Matrix just launched a new streamer (TT-1) above the Element S:

https://www.matrix-digi.com/product/115/TT-1

 

[loaizaprat]

Matrix just launched a new streamer (TT-1) above the Element S:

https://www.matrix-digi.com/product/115/TT-1

HiFi Rose-like screen looks awesome. Is it just the Element S with a bigger screen?

 

[thecrow]

Matrix just launched a new streamer (TT-1) above the Element S:

https://www.matrix-digi.com/product/115/TT-1

and the NT-1

Edit: just realised that’s a higher tier

 

[thecrow]

Though i had the tt-1 in my sights (ie saving up for) i just picked up the element s as the price was too good to not roll the dice with this streamer (here in Australia with addicted to audio)

Will be able to run it through its paces with tidal, qobuz and aiff library with the matrix app, roon and audirvana (once all setup).

First but of hardware i can remember adding to my setup in the last 18 months or so so hoping for a sound quality boost / bump

 

[thecrow]

My first night experience (using MA app) showed:

Wifi connection seemed solid (which is a great benefit) though the firmware update could only be done by ethernet cable as did not work via wifi.

Initially i could not get the streamer to play though to my holo may dac. It was showing it could see the dac but would fail when trying to play.
Dac also displayed that it was receiving dsd 1024 files (or something like that), which it wasn’t. Then i unplugged the dac at the element s side and plugged it back in and all was good. Not sure what had happened there.

Immediate response is it does not sound as good as the aries 2.1 that i used to own (2.5x times the rrp). That had a great tone in its musical presentation.

I'm thinking clarity / detail is definitely a bit better than playing straight from ipad pro.

Harsh sounding recordings still sound harsh when being fed through matrix element s.

Very early days so getting to know it.

(Had a couple of worrying moments, as mentioned above but all came good)

Anyone that can comment on sound of wifi v wlan connection?
And if burn in is a factor?

Cheers.

 

[KTpG]

I've had good luck with the wifi connection, which is my only option in my audio room as the router is a long way down the hall. For me, the app says that every firmware update has failed, but the screen on the unit says update complete and the app recognizes the new firmware after I close the popup on the Element screen.

I was using a custom PC running Daphile before this and felt the sound quality was similar, if not a bit better with the Element, though I don't use my main system very often any more so it is hard to make meaningful comparisons.

 

[thecrow]

Is there a trick or setting to not having this streamer’s display turning off? It appears to take less than 30 seconds to do so.

I have even turned off auto sleep in settings and that doesn’t help

To elaborate, this is when streaming from qobuz. If selecting a new song to play then display illuminates, starts playing then dims again

 

[KTpG]

There should be a setting for 'auto dimmer' which controls this. I have this set to 'off'.

 

[thecrow]

There should be a setting for 'auto dimmer' which controls this. I have this set to 'off'.

I think I’ve already tried it, but I’ll try that again tonight.
I’ll turn OFF auto dimmer and auto sleep in case I may have overlooked that


Edit: that did work tonight - thanks.


I’m trying to avoid spending too much time or energy in “analytic mode” when using the element s but a few things i have found, and sound general thoughts, from my first 6-10 hours of use this week:

(Mostly used streaming qobuz with the MA app)

* the sound is NOT in any way thin or too warm in its sound, for whatever that is worth. Eg I sometimes read about some of the eversolo units (eg a6) being a bit thin, but maybe that is when using as a streamer AND Dac. Do not find that an issue with the element s.

* I am having no issues in using it, ie in playback. Except sometimes there is a slight noise at the beginning of a song when using qobuz. It has been suggested from what I have read that that can be when the bit rate between songs changes. Not a big issue at all.

* may not be a giant killer, as my aries g2.1 definitely had more magic to it in its underlying tonal elements (yes at about 3x the price of the element s RRP). Hard for me to describe, the Aries was maybe a touch softer or maybe could be described as very far from “digital” in its nature, however would not go as far as using the word analogue as such either. Perhaps it did its work in a way that sounded effiortless.

* one key experience - i have found the sound of using the S in wifi is different from plugging it into one of these D-Link Dap 1650 units I have had for about 10 years, when using it in media bridge mode. Maybe the sound is less bright, or has less noise, or less upper end glare. Or maybe it is simply less lively. Either way I do hear a difference and am definitely preferring the media bridge connection. I would recommend to all to try something like that as a bridge to compare with a wifi connection. Not a deal breaker, but a preference of mine. My set up is too far away to connect directly to my router.

https://www.dlink.com.au/home-solut...uidzo-UfFzB7Wy3ErPwgik9BimXOXS2jIWIHdzL0HFHeQ

* I am enjoying the level of detail it brings. I’m sure it’s not the final word in detail but it sounds quite open in what it allows to flow. No concern about anything being veiled.
I would NOT say it is a BIG improvement on using my iPad Pro, which was better than using an old pc laptop, but happy to think I have adjusted to it and do prefer the element s. Have not gone back to A B test at this point but it may well sound better, from memory.

* After a week of using the MA element S over 4 or 5 nights I have started relaxing with it, and stopped analysing it too much. Perhaps I have adjusted to its sound. Perhaps going with the media bridge has helped. perhaps there is some burn in??? I don’t know. Perhaps I am less judgemental, and paranoid, when playing tracks that might not be the best of recordings.

* Though I do not have a lot of experience with streamers I do feel the RRP is reasonable as an RRP.

Just my 2c with a new toy.

Cheers
Peter T

 

[KTpG]

I have found good synergy with the Element S in my system by carefully choosing components. The S feeds a Chord M-Scaler and Hugo TT2 upscaler+DAC combo, then out to some 300B monoblocks driving single-driver speakers. The result is very detailed and has an incredible sense of space with good recordings. Strangely enough, poor recordings are somehow 'softened' through this setup so that they are listenable and even sometimes enjoyable, yet good recordings are not softened at all. It's kind of hard to explain, but I finally am rather happy with my system after a quarter century of searching.

One upgrade I found to be worthwhile with the S and Chord stack is the USB cable. I work in industrial automation and we have had a lot of trouble in that environment with USB signal integrity, so I've spent a fair amount of time studying the USB spec and looking at cables. I don't necessarily recommend the high-dollar 'audio-grade' USB cables made by hi-fi cable houses since it is unclear whether they truly adhere to the USB spec. What I use is a fairly cheap (<$10) short USB cable that is properly shielded and has a ferrite bead on both ends. This is what we found works best in industrial environments to reject noise. For me, it added 'focus' to the sound as if some low-level glare or hash was removed. I would attribute this to improved noise immunity. If you go down this path, which I recommend since it is a cheap thing to try, this is what I would try to find:

• Choose a cable that is only a long as you need. Bundling up extra cable and tying it off is just asking for noise to be picked up.
• Look for a double-shielded cable where the signal wires are a twisted pair that have their own shield around them and then there is a separate shield around the power lines and the shielded signal pair. There are some nice (and cheap) industrial examples from L-COM, Monoprice, etc.
• Get a cable that has ferrite beads on both ends. The short cable I chose at the time did not have any, so I added them myself. But, there are examples of short cables that do have double beads; they were just out of stock when I ordered.